Ingredients
- 3 medium onions
- 8 boneless chicken thighs
- 1 Mexican-style beer (recommended: Negra Modela)
- 4 fresh bay leaves
- 3 ancho chilies, seeded and stemmed
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons golden raisins
- 1 red chile pepper, such as Fresno or Holland
- 2 small stems fresh oregano or marjoram, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened Mexican cocoa powder
- Pinch cinnamon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- Small corn or flour tortillas, warmed to package directions, for serving
- Toasted pepitas, for garnish
Directions
Quarter one of the onions and place in a large pot with the chicken, beer, and 2 bay leaves. Add just enough water to come up to the top of the chicken pieces. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat, and then lower the heat and simmer until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the hot liquid to a bowl and shred the meat with forks. Strain and reserve the stock.
Meanwhile, in a small pot, cover the anchos with just enough water to cover and simmer to reconstitute, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the anchos to a food processor bowl, reserving the cooking liquid.
Toast the almonds in a saucepot large enough in which to make the sauce. Remove the toasted nuts to the food processor bowl.
Slice the 2 remaining onions. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat in the same pot you toasted the nuts in. Add the onions, garlic, last 2 bay leaves, raisins, red chile, oregano, cumin, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook to soften the onions, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the crushed tomatoes and heat through. Transfer to the food processor with the reconstituted anchos and almonds. Process into a thick paste and return to the saucepot. Add a little of the chicken stock and ancho stock to thin the sauce a bit. It should remain thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the shredded chicken to the sauce then serve with warm corn or flour tortillas for wrapping. Garnish with pepitas.
Photo: Beer-Poached Pulled Chicken Mole Recipe
















Review This Recipe
You must be logged in to review this recipe.
or Sign Up to Review
Newest Ratings and Reviews
Read all 11 reviews
By missyv919_9010345
pittsburgh, PA
on April 02, 2012
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
i made this yet again, this time i had to leave out the beer but used chicken stock instead, and i used finger chili peppers as the hot pepper added to the sauce. extra cinnamon & cocoa this time, as well. i think that this could be spicier, so i add my own hotness to the dish. but this is a great base recipe to follow. thanks.
By Y.Alejandra
Centreville, VA
on April 16, 2011
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
Nothing great about this recipe. It was ok, we ate it, but won't make it again. Sorry Rachel...
By paulasworld_6204418
California
on February 15, 2011
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
I am only giving this recipe a "fair" rating, because I think it can be good, but once we added the unsweetened cocoa powder, it got extremely bitter. I know the recipe calls for Mexican unsweetened cocoa powder, but Rachel mentioned you could use regular unsweetened. I tasted the chicken after it was done poaching in the beer(we used a Corona and water, and it was very tasty. Next time, I think we will add a SMALL amount of cocoa powder, more nutmeg and other spices, and adjust from there. Otherwise, this recipe probably turns out really well. The side dish of the red chard and rice was excellent!
Read all 11 reviews